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Duplicate Table to Different Base

C

Hi AirTable Team,


Thank you so much for AirTable – it’s been so inspiring and helpful!


Feature Request: “Would it ever be possible to duplicate an AirTable Table to a different AirTable Base?”


Use Case: After creating a great Table with customized fields we realize, “This table would work great in another base we already have going. Let me just export it to CSV and Import.” While this gets us most of the way there, we lose the field type customizations in the process (i.e. Single Select, Multiple Select, Attachment, URL, Currency, etc.).


For now, I am happy to go back through the 18 fields (in our case) and customize each field type. Simply changing it to an “Attachment” or “URL” is no problem, but where it takes a little bit more time is in recreating or cleaning up the Single Select and Multiple Select options. We have a number of those fields and have to edit again, add, etc.


Idea for Implementation: Perhaps in the Table arrow dropdown we could enhance the “Duplicate Table” option that is already there so that, when clicked, it presents a new window that lets the user select which Base they want to duplicate this Table to. The dialogue/window might look similar to the one we see when we switch Bases by pressing Cmd+K: we can simply start typing the Base name with the ability to duplicate the Table to that Base. This might be one of many ways to introduce this functionality.


If the feature request ever makes it to the AirTable “Let’s do this” list, of course that would be exciting for me, but I know there are other priorities as well!


Thanks again for AirTable(!) and to the teams, friendships, and vision behind it – keep up the good work! 🙂

    49 replies

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    • Howie
    • Participating Frequently
    • 61 replies
    • June 6, 2016

    You can actually already do this by pressing Cmd+A, Cmd+C to select and copy all cells, respectively, then Cmd+V to paste into a new table (even in a different Base). Replace Cmd with Ctrl if you’re on Windows.

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    • Caleb_Weeks
    • Author
    • New Participant
    • 1 reply
    • June 6, 2016
    Howie wrote:

    You can actually already do this by pressing Cmd+A, Cmd+C to select and copy all cells, respectively, then Cmd+V to paste into a new table (even in a different Base). Replace Cmd with Ctrl if you’re on Windows.


    Well, there you go - I am embarrassed! What a great feature!


    Thanks, Howie. Really appreciate you dropping that tip (which I initially overlooked in the documentation as it is detailed in Appending data to an existing table with copy and paste. I was just using the wrong search terms for “Duplicate” instead of “copy/paste” etc.


    Thanks again! Perhaps it will help someone else out there.

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    • James_Samuel
    • Known Participant
    • 25 replies
    • September 22, 2016

    The CMD-A, C, V doesn’t quite duplicate the table, as far as I can tell?


    It seems to only duplicate (copy) the data. It would though be great to be able to duplicate a table for use in another base. EG a client table gets used over and over again, but how much better not to have to build it every time.

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    • Howie
    • Participating Frequently
    • 61 replies
    • September 22, 2016
    James_Samuel wrote:

    The CMD-A, C, V doesn’t quite duplicate the table, as far as I can tell?


    It seems to only duplicate (copy) the data. It would though be great to be able to duplicate a table for use in another base. EG a client table gets used over and over again, but how much better not to have to build it every time.


    If you paste into a previously empty table, a prompt will appear asking if you want to copy over data and structure, or just data.


    But more importantly, if the same table structure is being duplicated again and again, it may be indicative of an opportunity to use views + a type field instead of separate tables. https://support.airtable.com/hc/en-us/articles/202624989-Guide-to-views

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    • James_Samuel
    • Known Participant
    • 25 replies
    • September 22, 2016
    Howie wrote:

    If you paste into a previously empty table, a prompt will appear asking if you want to copy over data and structure, or just data.


    But more importantly, if the same table structure is being duplicated again and again, it may be indicative of an opportunity to use views + a type field instead of separate tables. https://support.airtable.com/hc/en-us/articles/202624989-Guide-to-views


    Thank you Howie! I see the trick is to create a new table, delete all existing columns, then paste, and voila.


    I didn’t get any dialogue asking if I wanted to copy over data and structure, or just data, but it did copy the fields, complete with structure - field names and formats and formulas.

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    2 people like this
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      Heath_Raftery
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      Danica
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    Thank you all gentlemen for this thread. I was just struggling with this and a quick search brought me here and I was quickly able to copy over my table.

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    1 person likes this
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      Jensen_Vercamer
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    Is is possible to copy a table in one base, then move it to a different base? I don’t just want to copy the table in the same base, but use all the features of a table in a totally different base.

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    1 person likes this
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      Kim_Life
    M

    I had the same question and found the answer here: Duplicate Table to Different Base


    Hope this helps

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    • Dan_Kang
    • New Participant
    • 2 replies
    • April 17, 2017

    Not sure what I am doing wrong here, but when I try to copy a table to a new base it is not copying the column headers or file type. It just says pasted field 1,2,3 etc.


    Do you know how to correct this? Seems really clinky to not have a simpler option to just create table in a new base.

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    1 person likes this
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      Charlotte-Amel1
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    Can you have the option of copying the table’s history? I use this for customer notes!

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    • Gopal_Vasudev
    • New Participant
    • 2 replies
    • August 18, 2017

    An excellent point. I agree. I want to use it for customer notes as well, and it is terrible that there is no feature for just moving a table to another base or copying to another base.

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      david_reinstein
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    • Lane_Katris
    • New Participant
    • 1 reply
    • November 28, 2017
    Howie wrote:

    You can actually already do this by pressing Cmd+A, Cmd+C to select and copy all cells, respectively, then Cmd+V to paste into a new table (even in a different Base). Replace Cmd with Ctrl if you’re on Windows.


    Simple, perfect solution! Not sure for large amounts of data… but I don’t have that issue yet.

    M

    since BASE LINKING is NOT YET available, can I copy a table from 1 base to another? If so, HOW?


    Thanks in advance

    M
    merlinregis_Thi wrote:

    since BASE LINKING is NOT YET available, can I copy a table from 1 base to another? If so, HOW?


    Thanks in advance


    Thanks @Katherine_Duh for moving my question here. For a few copy pastes, it IS a good solution, but I’m looking more for a GLOBAL solution.


    Here’s my situation :



    • Many bases offer only PART of what I want to build.

    • Many of these bases have common tables

    • I want to be able to build… if you permit the expression a MEGA-BASE, which would contain all of the tables of the chosen bases, INCLUDING the relations between the different tables.


    Sure, I COULD copy/paste away… but I think I’d have a LOT of work in front of me. :-S


    If anyone can help me simplifying this copy paste process, I would REALLY appreciate it 🙂


    Thanks in advance :winking_face:

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      Jason_Friedlan1
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    Hi, I’m using this thread because the request can be related: if we have two identical tables, it would be nice to have a feature (a block maybe?) that keeps them synchronized.


    What do you think?

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    • Luke_Gulley
    • New Participant
    • 1 reply
    • June 5, 2018

    This would be a great feature!

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    • Upma_Arora
    • New Participant
    • 2 replies
    • June 13, 2018

    Is it possible to link the copied data in case any changes are made on one will populate it on the other table?

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    merlinregis_Thi wrote:

    Thanks @Katherine_Duh for moving my question here. For a few copy pastes, it IS a good solution, but I’m looking more for a GLOBAL solution.


    Here’s my situation :



    • Many bases offer only PART of what I want to build.

    • Many of these bases have common tables

    • I want to be able to build… if you permit the expression a MEGA-BASE, which would contain all of the tables of the chosen bases, INCLUDING the relations between the different tables.


    Sure, I COULD copy/paste away… but I think I’d have a LOT of work in front of me. :-S


    If anyone can help me simplifying this copy paste process, I would REALLY appreciate it 🙂


    Thanks in advance :winking_face:


    I would kill for this feature. We have many bases doing similar things for different products, and we update the templated base there is no way to go back and update the ones that are already under way.

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      david_baird
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    Hi, I’ve read the suggestions at the top of this thread but don’t see the prompt to copy structure. All I see is the prompt for expanding the table (see attached). Please help!

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      James_Hahn_II
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      Heath_Raftery
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      Haig_Hovsepian
    J

    I WIN! NOT YOU (code/software/etc), ME! I WIN! IT’S ALL I DO!!!


    Please forgive my exuberance, it’s how I celebrate after hours of toiling away trying to get something to work. This seems simple enough, but after avoiding figuring this out for months I finally decided to give it a go on a Saturday morning. Just spent another 2 hours completely perplexed, much like @Jarret_Cassaniti above.


    For anyone still struggling to figure this out, here is the workflow at last!



    1. Go to the table you want to copy and select “Grid View”.

    2. Remove any Group filters you have in place so you see all of the data in list like a traditional spreadsheet.

    3. Click anywhere on the Table. It doesn’t matter if you click a Column, click into a Cell, or in the gray space off to the side.

    4. Press Command+A (Mac) or Windows+A (PC) on your keyboard. All of the columns and rows are now a highlighted light blue.

    5. Press Command+C (Mac) or Windows+C (PC) on your keyboard. You have now copied all of the rows AND the structured data for each column.

    6. Click the Airtable “Go home” logo at the top left of your screen.

    7. Click the base where you want to duplicate the table.

    8. Click the “(+)” plus sign icon next to “SHARE” at the top-right of the first Table you see in the Base.

    9. Select “Create empty table”.

    10. Give your Table a name or press Enter to use the generic Table name assigned by Airtable.

    11. Right-click the Attachments column and select “Delete field” at the bottom list.

    12. Right-click the Notes column and select “Delete field” at the bottom of the list… You are now only left with the Name column and three rows.

    13. Click the checkbox next to each of the three rows.

    14. Right-click and select “Delete all selected records”.

    15. Click the (+) plus sign to add a new row. You will now see the blinking | line icon indicating you can now add information to the cell.

    16. Press Command+V (Mac) or Windows+V (PC) on your keyboard.

    17. Cry tears of joy because you now know how to fully duplicate a table in a different base!


    Only deleting the columns didn’t do the trick for me, but h/t to @James_Samuel for that advice. Once I deleted all columns AND rows, it worked like a charm.


    Hope this helps save at least one poor soul from the torture of having to piecing this together without step-by-step instructions. Airtable, if you’re listening, please add this to your documentation!


    Cheers y’all!


    James

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    James_Hahn_II wrote:

    I WIN! NOT YOU (code/software/etc), ME! I WIN! IT’S ALL I DO!!!


    Please forgive my exuberance, it’s how I celebrate after hours of toiling away trying to get something to work. This seems simple enough, but after avoiding figuring this out for months I finally decided to give it a go on a Saturday morning. Just spent another 2 hours completely perplexed, much like @Jarret_Cassaniti above.


    For anyone still struggling to figure this out, here is the workflow at last!



    1. Go to the table you want to copy and select “Grid View”.

    2. Remove any Group filters you have in place so you see all of the data in list like a traditional spreadsheet.

    3. Click anywhere on the Table. It doesn’t matter if you click a Column, click into a Cell, or in the gray space off to the side.

    4. Press Command+A (Mac) or Windows+A (PC) on your keyboard. All of the columns and rows are now a highlighted light blue.

    5. Press Command+C (Mac) or Windows+C (PC) on your keyboard. You have now copied all of the rows AND the structured data for each column.

    6. Click the Airtable “Go home” logo at the top left of your screen.

    7. Click the base where you want to duplicate the table.

    8. Click the “(+)” plus sign icon next to “SHARE” at the top-right of the first Table you see in the Base.

    9. Select “Create empty table”.

    10. Give your Table a name or press Enter to use the generic Table name assigned by Airtable.

    11. Right-click the Attachments column and select “Delete field” at the bottom list.

    12. Right-click the Notes column and select “Delete field” at the bottom of the list… You are now only left with the Name column and three rows.

    13. Click the checkbox next to each of the three rows.

    14. Right-click and select “Delete all selected records”.

    15. Click the (+) plus sign to add a new row. You will now see the blinking | line icon indicating you can now add information to the cell.

    16. Press Command+V (Mac) or Windows+V (PC) on your keyboard.

    17. Cry tears of joy because you now know how to fully duplicate a table in a different base!


    Only deleting the columns didn’t do the trick for me, but h/t to @James_Samuel for that advice. Once I deleted all columns AND rows, it worked like a charm.


    Hope this helps save at least one poor soul from the torture of having to piecing this together without step-by-step instructions. Airtable, if you’re listening, please add this to your documentation!


    Cheers y’all!


    James


    Wow, wonderful @James_Hahn_II! Your patience and solution sharing is greatly appreciated!

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    1 person likes this
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      James_Hahn_II
    J

    Why doesnt this work for me? Formats and data are copied but not formulas? Any ideas?

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      Sara_Schiman
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    • kyrie_gibson
    • New Participant
    • 1 reply
    • August 22, 2018
    James_Hahn_II wrote:

    I WIN! NOT YOU (code/software/etc), ME! I WIN! IT’S ALL I DO!!!


    Please forgive my exuberance, it’s how I celebrate after hours of toiling away trying to get something to work. This seems simple enough, but after avoiding figuring this out for months I finally decided to give it a go on a Saturday morning. Just spent another 2 hours completely perplexed, much like @Jarret_Cassaniti above.


    For anyone still struggling to figure this out, here is the workflow at last!



    1. Go to the table you want to copy and select “Grid View”.

    2. Remove any Group filters you have in place so you see all of the data in list like a traditional spreadsheet.

    3. Click anywhere on the Table. It doesn’t matter if you click a Column, click into a Cell, or in the gray space off to the side.

    4. Press Command+A (Mac) or Windows+A (PC) on your keyboard. All of the columns and rows are now a highlighted light blue.

    5. Press Command+C (Mac) or Windows+C (PC) on your keyboard. You have now copied all of the rows AND the structured data for each column.

    6. Click the Airtable “Go home” logo at the top left of your screen.

    7. Click the base where you want to duplicate the table.

    8. Click the “(+)” plus sign icon next to “SHARE” at the top-right of the first Table you see in the Base.

    9. Select “Create empty table”.

    10. Give your Table a name or press Enter to use the generic Table name assigned by Airtable.

    11. Right-click the Attachments column and select “Delete field” at the bottom list.

    12. Right-click the Notes column and select “Delete field” at the bottom of the list… You are now only left with the Name column and three rows.

    13. Click the checkbox next to each of the three rows.

    14. Right-click and select “Delete all selected records”.

    15. Click the (+) plus sign to add a new row. You will now see the blinking | line icon indicating you can now add information to the cell.

    16. Press Command+V (Mac) or Windows+V (PC) on your keyboard.

    17. Cry tears of joy because you now know how to fully duplicate a table in a different base!


    Only deleting the columns didn’t do the trick for me, but h/t to @James_Samuel for that advice. Once I deleted all columns AND rows, it worked like a charm.


    Hope this helps save at least one poor soul from the torture of having to piecing this together without step-by-step instructions. Airtable, if you’re listening, please add this to your documentation!


    Cheers y’all!


    James


    You sir, are a rockstar!

    J
    1 person likes this
    • J
      James_Hahn_II
    A
    • Annie11
    • New Participant
    • 1 reply
    • August 30, 2018
    James_Hahn_II wrote:

    I WIN! NOT YOU (code/software/etc), ME! I WIN! IT’S ALL I DO!!!


    Please forgive my exuberance, it’s how I celebrate after hours of toiling away trying to get something to work. This seems simple enough, but after avoiding figuring this out for months I finally decided to give it a go on a Saturday morning. Just spent another 2 hours completely perplexed, much like @Jarret_Cassaniti above.


    For anyone still struggling to figure this out, here is the workflow at last!



    1. Go to the table you want to copy and select “Grid View”.

    2. Remove any Group filters you have in place so you see all of the data in list like a traditional spreadsheet.

    3. Click anywhere on the Table. It doesn’t matter if you click a Column, click into a Cell, or in the gray space off to the side.

    4. Press Command+A (Mac) or Windows+A (PC) on your keyboard. All of the columns and rows are now a highlighted light blue.

    5. Press Command+C (Mac) or Windows+C (PC) on your keyboard. You have now copied all of the rows AND the structured data for each column.

    6. Click the Airtable “Go home” logo at the top left of your screen.

    7. Click the base where you want to duplicate the table.

    8. Click the “(+)” plus sign icon next to “SHARE” at the top-right of the first Table you see in the Base.

    9. Select “Create empty table”.

    10. Give your Table a name or press Enter to use the generic Table name assigned by Airtable.

    11. Right-click the Attachments column and select “Delete field” at the bottom list.

    12. Right-click the Notes column and select “Delete field” at the bottom of the list… You are now only left with the Name column and three rows.

    13. Click the checkbox next to each of the three rows.

    14. Right-click and select “Delete all selected records”.

    15. Click the (+) plus sign to add a new row. You will now see the blinking | line icon indicating you can now add information to the cell.

    16. Press Command+V (Mac) or Windows+V (PC) on your keyboard.

    17. Cry tears of joy because you now know how to fully duplicate a table in a different base!


    Only deleting the columns didn’t do the trick for me, but h/t to @James_Samuel for that advice. Once I deleted all columns AND rows, it worked like a charm.


    Hope this helps save at least one poor soul from the torture of having to piecing this together without step-by-step instructions. Airtable, if you’re listening, please add this to your documentation!


    Cheers y’all!


    James


    Hi @ James_Hahn_II … great job - but it does not work on my end. May I ask what Windows and Browser you are using? Don’t really think it is that, but I tried all copy/paste “grips” I can think of.


    And after two years of Airtable not delivering I don’t think they will.


    But still @ Airtable it would really be cool to just add it as a feature to copy to another base or another table.


    EDIT: Okay, so after giving it another whirl - yes, I just can’t help it - I think I found the missing link…

    @Jason_Friedlander and @merlinregis_Thibeaul I may just found what you were trying to do


    Go to the table you just created in the other base OR to the table you want to add to.

    Then hit your “pasting combination” for MAC/Windows. That (often) prompts a pop up from Airtable asking you if you want to expand the table or keep it as is.

    If you expand the data and the structure will be added.


    Here is the kicker: When there is already data in the base, it may not or only partially expand with the columns and data. I think it has something to do with the ID column (all to the left, that you can’t delete or push somewhere else), but may also come with what columns are already in the base (say twice a date column or a notes column)


    I am new to Airtable so my data is very limited at this point to really see what exactly the expand-feature triggers and when/how it does fully work and when not or partially.

    J
    1 person likes this
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      James_Hahn_II
    J
    • James_Hahn_II
    • New Participant
    • 2 replies
    • August 31, 2018
    kyrie_gibson wrote:

    You sir, are a rockstar!


    Awww, shucks! Thanks @kyrie_gibson!! And happy to help @Jarret_Cassaniti 🙂


    Great catch Annie. I should have added I’m on a MacBook Pro using the Mac desktop app.


    It’s hilarious I just got looped back here 47 days later. I loved the functionality of this community so much it stuck with me. Subsequently started noticing the same technology in use across the web. 15 days ago I had to know what was behind it… for anyone that’s curious it’s Discourse.org, an open source forum platform.


    Haven’t slept for the past 15 days while I learned command line tools, Terminal, Ruby on Rails, Homebrew, Git, Vagrant, VirtualBox, nginx, PostgreSQL, Redis, Sidekick, and oauth2 with slight detours for Trellis, Bedrock, Sage 9, and Mailgun so we wouldn’t have to pay Discourse $300/month for hosting and access to all the plugins. Just finished writing a detailed tutorial over there, checked my email, and saw notifications from the Airtable Community. What a difference 47 days can make!!


    I WIN!! IT’S ALL I DO BABY!!


    p.s. Thanks for listening. Honestly never thought I’d be able to do this kind of programming and kinda (totally!) geeking out :grinning_face_with_big_eyes:

    T
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      Tim_Halvorson

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